One of the classic myths that appeals to writers and directors of art
films is the story of Orpheus. Some see Orpheus as the archetypal artist
-- and not simply because his music made even the mountains sway and the
trees strain to hear it. The journey of Orpheus to the Underworld could
be considered an allegory for the artistic process. Like Orpheus, the
poet or artist descends to the darkest depths of the soul and stares
death in the face. And like Orpheus, the artist who gives in to his or
her doubts will lose everything.

Orpheus' wife Eurydice is bitten in the ankle by a serpent and dies.
Orpheus respectfully requests of Pluto a "loan": his wife back until
she's older -- after all, we all will end up here in the underworld
sooner or later anyway.

How is the Underworld of mythology different from Christian
Hell?

How is Hades/Pluto different from the Devil?

Who the devil is the Devil?

As Orpheus sings his request, all those miseries of the underworld we
saw in Virgil's Aeneid stop: Ixion's wheel stops spinning, the
vulture stops chewing on Tityos' liver, Tantalus stops trying to reach
food and water, and so on (235). What does it mean that "Hell" stops in
the underworld when Orpheus sings?

Orpheus' request is granted with a catch in the form of folklore's "one
forbidden thing" motif: as he and Eurydice exit, he is not to look back
at her. Of course, he's worried and on the way out he does look back.
She's gone forever.

Ovid's tale of Orpheus' journey to the Underworld, the realm of Hades,
provides a beginning place from which to consider the changing constructs
of the afterlife in mythology. It is possible to view the changing images
of the underworld by looking at the iconography of hell and the devil.
See the Orpheus discussion of Hell.

Cyparissus:

A sacred deer is fond of the youth Cyparissus. Cyparissus rides the deer
about and they have happy picnics together, until Cyparissus accidentally
shoots the deer. He wants to die himself, and in order that he might
lament forever,
Apollo turns him into a cypress tree, a "tree of mourning" (238).

Ganymede:

Orpheus sings the brief tale of Ganymede, beloved by Jove and so carried
off by Jove's eagle incarnation to serve him nectar (239).

Apollo and Hyacinthus:

Another youth, Hyacinthus, oils up with Apollo for a discus-throwing
competition. He catches one on the rebound in the face and dies, becoming
the hyacinth (240).

Pygmalion:

An angry Venus invents whores (241). Pygmalion turns away from such vile
humanity, sculpts an ivory woman, and falls in love with it (242-243).
Venus grants it life. This story serves as the prototype for My Fair
Lady, Mannequin, and other Svengali tales.

Cinyras and Myrrha:

Ovid warns the squeamish away from this story, especially encouraging
fathers and daughters to skip over it, thereby drawing more lurid
attention to it. Cinyras and Myrrha are father and daughter, and Myrrha
harbors incestuous impulses towards daddy, which she rationalizes with
references to various animals (244). She even curses "geography" for the
cultural taboo (245). Daddy's pleased when she claims to want a husband
exactly like him. Her nurse finally realizes why Myrrha is mooning all
the time and, when mom is busy with the festival of Ceres, helps Myrrha
to daddy's bed. She revisits night after night until Cinyras calls for
some light and turns homicidal. She flees, pregnant, and turns into a
myrrh tree. Her son is Adonis.

Adonis:

We hear that Venus hunts a bit. She is accidentally grazed by one of
Cupid's arrows and falls in love with Adonis. To keep him from
endangering himself hunting, she tells him the following story.

Atalanta:

Atalanta is not interested in getting married, especially to any man who
cannot outrun her. Losers receive death. Hippomenes scoffs at first but
sees her and is struck by her beauty. During the race he throws golden
apples farther and farther off course, which Atalanta fetches; thus he is
able to win the race.

Back to Adonis:

Venus warns Adonis off hunting, especially lions. But Adonis doesn't
listen and one day is gored in the groin by a wild boar. He dies and
turns into the anemone flower, which blooms early and fades fast.